Unexpected alliances
by Tennoda
Summary: A sequel to "Unexpected emotions". We're continuing where we left off with Lex, Scar, Annie, Stealth and the rest of the gang. In space. Woo!
1. Prologue

This is it, are you ready? xD

Another long, crazy, dangerous ride is about to start with a bunch of old and new characters. I have been writing and rewriting and re-rewriting to get this prologue the way I want it, and it's finally close enough. Now I can't _wait_ to start showing you everything I have planned. Soooo many cliffhangers incoming! ;D

Disclaimer: I don't own or make money off of Aliens or Predators.

Let's begin!

* * *

A wailing alarm blared across the incapacitated Yautja ship, reacting to an automatic system analysis that had concluded its shields were down and it was running on backup power. As a result, every warrior was gearing up and getting ready to face the invasion they knew to expect.

Deadlock hoped they would put up a fight worthy of the hunt.

The elite warrior's mind was calm, centered, as he followed the lit symbols on the unfamiliar ship's walls, coming to a two-storey trophy hall. Near half a millennium of experience kept him ready for anything, even on such a sudden and upleasant mission as this. The audio enhancers in his biomask filtered away excess noise, allowing him to ignore the piercing alarm and to concentrate on his mission.

He wasn't hunting alone this time. Deadlock had made a quick decision to take his students along, deeming them ready for the challenge. Like him, they had used their short-distance transporters to invade the small mothership, scattering to hunt by themselves. The seasoned warrior kept his instinctual excitement under control, reminding himself it was his students' turn to show their prowess. His mission was mainly to evaluate how far they had progressed with their training.

That, and beheading one target personally.

Deadlock would've preferred to get the latter done first, but having linked his biomask with those of his students', he was expected to start viewing their battles as soon as they would give the signal. His own prey would have to wait.

Sometimes, however, it seemed the Black Warrior grew impatient and guided things more to his liking.

Deadlock stopped, hearing a door open on the upper level. An unmasked Yautja walked into view, broad, jagged swords in his spotted hands. Excluding the lack of a biomask, the sturdy warrior was well covered in protective body armor, prepared more for war whereas Deadlock's gear was as light as possible, suitable for nimble movements during a hunt.

"_I cannot imagine what you expected to achieve, Enforcer..."_ the armored hunter growled, walking to the ledge and dropping down to Deadlock's level with a heavy resounding thump._ "...by bringing mere three warriors with you to face an entire clan. May all of you die honorably."_

Splitbone. Deadlock knew enough for the name to fill him with disgust. The leader of the small, disgraced clan of Bad Bloods they had come to hunt. He had taken the title by defeating the former leader and anyone who opposed him in official duels. After that there had been nothing honorable in what he had done. Seldom had one hunter been able to turn an entire clan away from the path of honor like he had. The severity of the crime was what had spurred Deadlock to come aboard instead of monitoring his students from their own ship.

Deadlock wasn't given the time to answer as Splitbone's armored body already sprung forward, thick arms pulling back to one side for a powerful strike aimed at Deadlock's unprotected middle. Despite the disadvantage it brought against two long swords, he chose to use his preferred weapon, extending a pair of wristblades from his gauntlet and bracing his body to catch the attack.

The first toothed blade locked with his, but the latter had changed its angle on the fly and headed past his wristblades, straight for his stomach. Separating their weapons Deadlock slipped out of the sword's reach, a sudden noise within his biomask catching his attention. The first of his students had now engaged in their battle. Well. It seemed he would have to fulfill his duties as their mentor first after all.

Deadlock deflected another blade and kicked Splitbone in the chestplate to push him back before activating the link between the biomasks. Doing so opened a live feed of his student's view into the corner of his vision.

Crypt.

The first of his students and undoubtedly the most skilled one. He had advanced the furthest during the decades Deadlock had trained them, already aspiring to become a Spear Master. The young warrior had outgrown most of his peers in height, though not in mass, lean muscles a well-toned instrument of graceful death. On top of that, his self-discipline was outstanding. And he knew his place, which eliminated the usual arrogance found in young warriors Deadlock so much despised.

Appropriately for the disciplined hunter, it seemed he had chosen the ship's training hall as his battleground.

Splitbone recovered his balance and charged back towards Deadlock, who dodged the aggressively swinging sword and swiped a low counter-attack with his wristblade, swiftly blocked by the other sword. He was capable, the older warrior noted, but too impatient and too reliant on physical strength. Flaws many hunters shared and grew out of if they lived long enough.

In Deadlock's shared vision, Crypt stood in the middle of the spacious hall and its many arenas, surrounded by multiple warriors. A strategically unwise position for taking on several enemies at once. Unless one was a Spear Master. Or even far enough into their training, as Crypt was.

Deadlock counted five young warriors, possibly more behind his student. Despite the presence of such a volatile group, an unnatural stillness reigned under the hall's high ceiling. No doubt it had something to do with the body of an impaled Yautja sliding slowly down on the end of Crypt's combispear.

The blood-dripping Yautja had already lost his head, courtesy of the curving blade of the glaive in Crypt's other hand. An example of how quick he was to utilize more than one of the retractable spears and glaives stored around his armor.

Deadlock could envision it. The taunts and roars rising like an oncoming storm as the Bad Bloods anticipated certain victory. Crypt's silent indifference and unbreakable focus. One of the eagerly chanting warriors charging head-on to claim the first strike. The chanting coming to an abrupt stop as Crypt's combispear struck seemingly out of nowhere like a gust of storm wind, sinking through flesh and thick bone. The next attack taking the paralyzed hunter's head in the blink of an eye.

Deadlock expected, and accepted, nothing less from his top student.

The tall warrior detached the dead Yautja from his combispear with a forceful tug, resting both the spear and the glaive to his sides and turning the weapons downwards in an invitation to attack his unguarded form.

The silence continued in a moment of hesitation, which made Deadlock scoff even through the reflexive moves his body was performing in the middle of his own fight. True warriors didn't hesitate.

Bellowing their battle-cries, the group finally rushed to strike their foe down. Their skills paled in comparison to Crypt's, who changed his weapons fluently into and out of his hands as he needed them. Few could keep up with the rapidly twirling and stabbing spears, either falling to the precisely aimed strikes or to the wide sideways blows that knocked them off their feet. Deadlock rarely allowed himself the luxury of pride, but watching his student wield his chosen weapons with perfectly executed movements, he couldn't deny the feeling that swelled in his chest.

He was very much pleased with Crypt's progress.

Splitbone was pushing his attacks harder, impatient to land an incapacitating blow. Deadlock kept one step ahead of the soaring and diving blades, half of his focus on the performance of his student. His evading seemed to infuriate the clan leader, but for the moment Deadlock wasn't concerned about that and just let their fight lead them out of the trophy hall and into a long corridor.

One by one the remaining hunters fell to the dance of the spears and soon there was only one left. Crypt had remained completely unscathed, while the other Yautja had suffered at least a broken arm. Deadlock waited to see what the injured and out-skilled warrior would do. Even if he was young and foolish, he should've known the proper way to greet the Black Warrior.

The young hunter glanced around himself, at the blood and entrails of his fallen clan members, and turned to run.

Deadlock felt the sour taste of disappointment.

More armed warriors entered the hall, some readying their plasma weapons and netguns when they realized what had happened to their clan members. None of it would make a difference. Deadlock had seen enough. He turned off the double view, and dodged a powerful lunge from Splitbone, simultaneously slicing at the exposed hand that passed by him. His wristblade drew a deep gash and an outraged roar from Splitbone, who dropped one of his swords. It didn't stop him from continuing his attack with the remaining sword.

The ferocity reminded Deadlock of his second student.

Activating another readied link revealed a corridor much like the one Deadlock had entered. But unlike his current position, this one was packed with brawling warriors. And it appeared that Deadlock's second student had situated himself in the middle of the raging chaos.

Wrangler.

The youngest and the most volatile of the three, Wrangler was the complete opposite of Crypt. An impulsive brawler with poor judgment and an unquenchable thirst for battle, a thirst so strong it hovered on the edge of madness.

Deadlock had once stepped in when a skirmish between two un-Blooded had turned into a frenzied battle of life and death. Killing another Yautja without an official permission or a clear case of self-defense was a punishable act, and even though Deadlock firmly believed fools deserved their due fate, he also knew all young warriors were fools. He had been one too, centuries ago.

He had taken action, grabbing and lifting the two fighters up by their dreadlocks, and slammed their faces together. The other youngling had wailed in pain and submitted, cowering from the elite hunter's wrath, but Wrangler...

Deadlock still vividly remembered the change in the young fool's expression. The stunned surprise as he had stared up at Deadlock, blood running under his eye, then a flash of realization as he had recognized the older warrior. At that point, any sane youngling would've submitted quickly in the hopes of avoiding a more severe beating or even death.

Wrangler hadn't.

The untrained, inexperienced would-be-warrior had actually had the audacity to attack the immensely more skilled elite hunter, charging forward at his legs. Deadlock had pounded the insolent youngling into the floor, hard enough for the sound of the impact to make the other Yautja in the room grimace. He certainly hadn't held back, thus he had been quite surprised when he had felt the sting of sharp claws digging into his leg before the echo of the blow had even died out.

That brainless pup, had been his first thought as he had kicked the insolent youngling in the face, breaking a mandible. The persistent thing had held on, surprising Deadlock again by starting a gurgling laughter. The elite hunter had pried the claws off his leg and lifted the barely mature Yautja by his neck with a passing thought of releasing the clearly insane creature from his destined to be short life.

Searching the youngling's eyes had, however, changed his mind. Even with the killing intent Deadlock had been projecting towards him, the excited gleam in Wrangler's eyes hadn't been distilled by fear. Deadlock had growled and pulled him closer to his face.

"_Your life is destined to be very short if that's all the sense you possess in that thick skull of yours."_

Blood had dribbled from the youngling's mouth as he had given his answer. _"I don't care about that. Just give me a fight, give me a challenge and I will face it whatever it is."_

It might've been on a whim, but Deadlock had given him what he had asked for, and made him his personal student. Hesitating had never been a habit of his, especially not when his instincts had told him he had something unusual standing in front of him.

Wrangler's stamina certainly had proven to be on a level far above normal. There seemed to be no limit to how much pain and damage he could endure and continue to fight. Still, Deadlock was slightly surprised the young and impulsive hunter had survived this long, given the magnitude of his recklessness.

Deadlock caught Splitbone's remaining sword with his wristblade, locking the two weapons and their free hands together in a battle of strength. At the same time he watched Wrangler endlessly grabbing and tearing, kicking, punching, whirling, clawing and headbutting his enemies as more charged at him. Blood had stained Wrangler's hands, his enemies and the narrow corridor, spilled abundantly by his spiky metal gauntlets and knee protectors that tore flesh and cracked bones. It was impossible to tell how much of it was his, but one thing Deadlock knew for sure.

He was laughing with every strike he took or delivered.

Wrangler's mad flailing was far from graceful, but Deadlock could see the improvement his strict training had had on the hard-headed student. His movements were better balanced and attacks executed with greater efficiency, even if Deadlock hadn't been able to cure him of his recklessness.

It was a shame where they would one day end up. Deadlock knew that as soon as Wrangler would feel he had learned everything there was to learn from him, he would challenge him again. And that time there would be only one warrior walking out.

Deadlock still hoped it wouldn't come to that. It would've been a waste to throw away years of hard work.

Splitbone's mandibles flared in a challenging roar, bringing Deadlock back from his ponderings. Splitbone was ignoring his injured hand and squeezing harder in an attempt to force his older opponent back. Deadlock noticed the sharp eyes stealing a quick glance behind him. This wasn't just showing off. There was something or someone behind him the overt aggressiveness was trying to conceal.

Deadlock stopped pushing back, instead yanking Splitbone forward into a headbutt. His biomask gave him the upper hand in that clash, making it easy for him to kneel and flip the dazed warrior over his shoulder. As he did, he could already hear the rhythmic pounding of someone running towards him.

He dove to the side, a current of air crawling across the back of his shortened dreadlocks as something swished by him and crashed forcefully into the wall.

Deadlock moved swiftly back and straightened himself, right away seeing a large metal ball more than half the size of his head, embedded into the plain wall. It was a spike-adorned mace with a long, sturdy shaft. Then he turned his head and saw the sizeable and clearly aggressive masked female on the other end of it. At that point he deemed it wise to distance himself and take a moment to assess the changed situation.

The female gave a tug and the hefty weapon came loose from the wall with a mournful screech, leaving behind a ragged crater in the metal. Deadlock could feel the intense stare aimed at him through the featureless biomask.

He made a quick evaluation of his new foe. The destructive huntress appeared young, definitely more inexperienced than either of the males. Still, it would've been dangerous to underestimate a female Yautja, especially when they were armed and angry.

Splitbone had gotten back to his feet and called the female, who unexpectedly refrained from resuming her attack. Deadlock cocked his head curiously. It was more usual for females to shove the smaller males out of their way, not stand down at their beckon. Mates perhaps? Had to be, strangely devoted even, considering she was willing to bear the consequences of becoming a Bad Blood with him.

The two regrouped and began exchanging their own silent hand signals, which seemed to support Deadlock's theory. He had hoped to have more time to observe his students, but it seemed he was faced with the need to finish his own battle without delay.

Deadlock checked one more link to see where his third and final student currently was.

He saw nothing.

Trounce wasn't wearing his biomask.

Anger seeped through the experienced warrior's composure. Whether the biomask had been removed by choice or because of carelessness in battle, he didn't care. Trounce had a history of removing his biomask when facing formidable opponents, and normally it would've been considered a sign of bravery and showing respect to worthy prey. This time, however, Deadlock had specifically instructed them to keep their biomasks on during their hunt. It wouldn't have been the first time Trounce had disobeyed him either. Sometimes he wondered if he had been too hasty in taking the arrogant youngling as a student based only on one exceptional feat he had accomplished.

There was no time to dwell on the aggravating matter. The female was already charging again at Deadlock with the mace pulled back for another heavy strike. Deadlock had to push back his anger and forget Trounce for the time being.

Splitbone and his supposed mate had agreed on a strategy, and no doubt the female was acting as the spearhead that masked the more lethal attack following it. Focused now solely on the large huntress, Deadlock rushed to meet her charge, pushing his body to a speed beyond anything he had just demonstrated to Splitbone. To a speed that bypassed most defenses.

With a striking serpent's agility, the elite warrior dove past the mace, thrust his wristblades forward and broke the spearhead.

He heard Splitbone bellow as the twin blades pierced his mate's side, effectively stopping the female in the middle of her run. Deadlock didn't miss a step, twisting his wristblades in the wound and yanking them out as he moved on to Splitbone, who raised his own jagged sword and flared his tusks in rage.

The weapons clashed and sparked with Splitbone's entire armored weight thrown against Deadlock. Hatred fueled his strength and he forced Deadlock off balance, revealing a weak point in his defense.

That same hatred also clouded his judgment.

As soon as Splitbone pulled his arm back to deliver the strike, Deadlock utilized the opening he had feigned and launched his own attack, striking faster than the new clan leader could follow. The wristblades found the targeted opening in the heavy armor, sinking into the pit of softer tissue under the clan leader's arm.

Splitbone uttered a surprised grunt, raised claws squeezing the remaining sword tighter for a brief moment before succumbing to the massive damage quickly exhausting its strength, and dropped the weapon.

Deadlock withdrew his wristblades, bringing forth a gush of blood from the convulsing warrior's mouth and dropping him to his knees. He had impaled at least one of Splitbone's lungs and opened up several large blood vessels in the process. A wound too severe for any hunter to shrug off without treatment. Splitbone was facing a bloody suffocation. A befittingly pitiful end for a traitor who had forsaken the warrior's way.

For a low-life who had chosen peace over honor.

A distinguishable sound of metal scraping metal made Deadlock turn his head. He wasn't surprised to see the female getting up and lifting her mace, severely hindered by the deep and profusely bleeding wounds on her side.

"_Accursed hound...!"_ the sizeable huntress hissed through the obvious pain, raising the spiky mace and smashing it seemingly senselessly against the wall with the same, destructive result as before. _"If you are so keen on destroying our future, you be the first to die."_

The raw power of a fully grown and armed Yautja female was something undeniably marvelous. Enough to shatter bone and metal alike.

Even enough, Deadlock realized, to smash through the ship's outer wall and plunge all three of them into the void of space.

Despite her lack of experience, the huntress was smart enough to know their chances of defeating Deadlock in regular battle had vanished. She also knew the ship's protective shields were still down and that this was the only thing she could do to give the rest of their clan better odds at surviving. Despite her being one of the disgraced Bad Bloods, Deadlock respected her determination.

The heavy mace swung back again, aiming at the weakened structure. At the same time, two wristblades shot out from Deadlock's gauntlet, striking the female straight through the head and killing her instantly.

The taut muscles lost their tension immediately and the lifeless body gave in to the ship's artificial gravity. Deadlock lowered his arm and looked back to Splitbone, who slowly turned his eyes away from his fallen mate, the earlier fury replaced by grim resignation to his inevitable fate.

"_You... and your pupils... will never defeat us all"_, the gravely wounded warrior croaked, coughing up more blood, but still holding his head high. _"Our purpose will... remain... even after your bodies have been... ejected from the ship."_

Deadlock grabbed the edge of his own biomask, detaching and removing it to meet the dying warrior eye to eye. _"I have seen your defeat already."_

He cast the mask to Splitbone's feet. _"Look for yourself."_

The kneeling clan leader glanced at the piece of hardware, refusing to pick it up and confirm what Deadlock already knew would be as certain as the devastation caused by stars at the end of their life cycle. Splitbone's clan of Bad Bloods would fall, and his reluctance to face the consequences of his actions only spurred Deadlock to drive the metaphorical spear deeper into the honorless warrior's gut.

"_Your cowardly plan was doomed from the start. You knew very well the Elders wouldn't tolerate it. And now not even death can redeem your honor anymore."_

A hacking laughter rose from Splitbone's bloody throat as he struggled to say all that he had to say. _"Who will be left... to remember honor... if we don't replenish our numbers...? Ceasing all but... the essential hunts for a few generations... is the most honorable way... out of all the options."_

Deadlock crouched to pick up Splitbone's sword, a tone of finality in his voice. _"We follow only one way."_

He ended their conversation. Splitbone's head rolled on the floor next to his collapsing body. Deadlock raised his foot on top of it and put his weight down until the thick skull cracked, caving in and rendering the former clan leader's features unrecognizable. Picking up his mask, Deadlock placed it on his face again, contemplating their encounter as he retrieved his wristblades and set out towards the command center.

He should've felt at peace. One less corruptive influence warping the minds of young hunters. They didn't need to rely on numbers, as he and his students had demonstrated. Skill and dedication meant everything. Simply to live a stagnant life of building and breeding... it was for the hard meat and the cattle-like races they collected trophies from. _Not_ for a warrior.

Deadlock _should_ have felt at peace, but the thought of so many warriors actually embracing such a future left him disturbed.

On his way Deadlock glimpsed more dead Bad Bloods in an intersecting corridor. As his biomask quickly fed him information on the scene, his restlessness only increased. Laser marks on the walls, traces of explosives. Another fine example of the ruined morals in Splitbone's soon to be extinct clan. Lasers and mines were for exterminating pests, not facing warriors. It only showed how imperative it was to maintain rules and discipline, as well as severe punishments for those who failed to live by them.

He wasn't as satisfied with his own students either anymore. The bodies in the hallway had worn sloppy gashes, clearly from ineffective use of wristblades. All three of them should've been beyond such clumsiness by now. Trounce's failure to follow the mission's directions had already aggravated him, now he would have to get to the bottom of this too.

Upon arriving at the empty command center, Deadlock sent his students the signal to regroup, then turned to inspect the surrounding monitors. He knew that the main systems would come back online soon, but wasn't willing to wait. Quickly rerouting the ship's reserve power, he transferred some of it to navigation and communications. Splitbone's clan's absence had just left an impact that would necessitate certain actions, negotiating new hunting grounds for the neighboring clans for starters, before they would start to fight over them. As an Enforcer, initiating and supervising negotiations was within Deadlock's authority.

A quick look at the ship's records revealed that Splitbone had been keeping track of other large ships, careful to avoid any potentially dangerous pursuers. Unfortunately for them, Deadlock's ship had been too small and fast for them to notice in time. The elite warrior kept reading. The closest ship found was still far, inconveniently far away, and would require locating and stretching out suitable space anomalies to lessen the travel time.

Deadlock chose the closest ship and tapped a message on the console, demanding identification and a meeting on neutral ground.

Before long, his students returned one by one, Crypt silently, with a mere scorch mark on his shoulder, and blood-covered Wrangler sneering and giving a rude gesture at Trounce who came back last. Trounce ignored him, crossing his bare arms and facing the monitors. Deadlock couldn't deny finding Trounce's lack of warrior spirit somewhat disappointing, even if he didn't need a fight on his hands right then.

Before he could address his students, especially Trounce about his error with the biomask, an incoming message stole his attention, drawing a rumbling growl from his throat.

He recognized the clan's signature.

Wolf's clan.

If there was one warrior, one warrior in the vast universe he yearned to destroy, it was his former ally from their Hive Challenge years ago. Deadlock glanced over the message quickly, not knowing or caring what it meant by unusual complications that kept the ship from leaving some planet's orbit. He wasn't ready to wait this time either.

Deadlock's claws clicked heatedly as he composed a reply.

_Keep your location. We'll come to you._


	2. New scars, old faces

Gosh, I hadn't even realized how much I had missed this bunch. ^_^ Thank you all who are ready to strap in and take the emotional abuse that's coming your way. XD

**ilokero31:** Thank you for your encouraging comment and for pointing out my mistake with which characters are in the story. I'm too used to writing OCs as the main character. :P And don't worry about your English, I can understand you just fine. :)

**TakenQueenII:** Thank you, I'm so glad you liked the new guys, I do too. ;D I was a little worried, putting only OCs in the prologue, but if it managed to draw you in, I guess we're safe. x)

**TheLionfart:** Thank _you_ for reading and commenting. Knowing others enjoy these stories too makes me very happy. :)

**FanFictionist1:** Deadlock definitely has got issues with Wolf, and yes, it will definitely be fun. xD

**Hexzhana:** Now you've gotten me excited with your excitement! XD Yay!

**First Dragon:** Thank you! :D And yes, that darn Drift having the same name... xP I thought of Deadlock's name before I learned it was Drift's original name, and by then I just didn't feel right changing it anymore. Not that there's anything wrong with having the same name.

**That One Anon:** Oh my friend, now starting this story really feels like a reunion of a sort. It's been so long, I could even say nostalgic. :D Thank you. Just thank you for being supportive and proud and pointing out things in the story I wish readers to notice. Things are okay on my end, and I hope you've been safe and well too in these risky times.

Let's begin.

Disclaimer: I don't own Lex or the AvP franchise, nor do I make any money off of this.

* * *

Pain.

Horrible, tremendous pain. Everything in existence, pure, raw, excruciating pain, burning within and all around.

At least until the feeling of suffocation came. Then the pain became sickeningly conjoined with a fear of dying.

Why? What was happening? Why was there pain? Why was there death?

Why didn't it stop?

Why didn't she die?

A searing pain, somehow even worse than the one so far, stabbed through the darkness and inside her. A scream tried to break free through the suffocating blockage, but there was no room.

It was too much. The newfound world bled away from the fading consciousness.

* * *

"– ease – me she's – right..."

Sounds...

That was new.

"– you think she's –"

The pain wasn't.

"– waking up?"

Something moved. Her hands. She still had a body to move. Breathing hurt. Swallowing too.

Annie opened her eyes. The ugliest face she had ever seen stared down at her.

She closed her eyes again and groaned slowly through the pain. "Please tell me we're both dead at least..."

A gurgling laugh greeted her. "Your spirit... certainly isn't."

"Annie!"

Annie's eyes flew back open immediately, immense relief flowing through her as she saw the head with curly blond hair and excited blue eyes push itself between her and the sneering hunter.

"You actually made it!" Mark gasped enthusiastically, bursting into a coughing fit right away. "D-damn, the air in here... Keeps me coughing..."

Annie smiled tiredly, pushing back her blaring Stealth alert for the moment. "We're still alive, huh? Surprising..."

Mark shook his head fervently between coughs. "You have no idea... Seriously, Annie, you don't. That operation you just went through... I thought it would kill you."

"Operation?" Annie's brows furrowed. Her mind was still jumbled, memories too hazy and disorganized to recollect.

Mark's expression became hesitant. "You don't...? Do you remember what happened to you?"

"Bits..."

The more Annie concentrated on remembering, the more her anxiousness grew. "Where are we? Where's everyone else?"

"Everything's fine!" Mark hurried to reassure, placing his hands on top of hers as if fearing she would've otherwise jumped up and dashed off. "All the xenos are dead, and so is Vincent. Not in the nicest way possible, either."

Annie stared at Mark's cauterized, three-fingered hand. The blond-haired man continued quickly. "Keith and Antonio are also fine. Or as fine as one can be considering everything."

"Mark..." Annie pushed herself up on her elbows and took a look at their surroundings for the first time. The sturdy leather-covered bed or table she was lying on was no hospital bed and the metal-gray, bulbous walls were not from their underground facility. Even the air was strange, hot and humid as hell.

"You're not telling me everything."

Mark withdrew her hands, eyes flickering to the side in search of words he clearly didn't want to say. Annie shifted her gaze to Stealth, who was still waiting behind the youngster with his arms crossed, observing their conversation.

"Or are _you_ just aching to hit me with whatever he's reluctant to tell me?"

Stealth's yellow eyes looked down at her with familiar amusement. "You were infected... with the bugs' parasite... and are now in our mothership."

Annie didn't as much as twitch, refusing to give the hunter who had tormented them in so many ways the satisfaction of seeing her shaken. She pushed herself up the rest of the way and dropped her legs over the edge of the tall berth, trying to get a feel of how badly she was injured while the news sunk in.

"I shot you."

"You remember that", Stealth uncrossed his arms. "Good."

The large hunter shoved the lightweight man in front of him to the side. Annie's expression darkened as she saw Mark stumble, but she held back her anger, knowing Stealth was intentionally provoking her. She needed to keep it together.

Until she would find a gun and a clear line of sight.

The powerful, barely clothed warrior stepped closer, shoulder-length dreadlocks swaying with the motion as he lowered his head just above Annie's. "I haven't... forgotten either."

Annie faced the golden, predatory eyes, gaining a sudden certainty that one of them would eventually be the death of the other.

"Hey, now..."

The fateful spell of the moment broke as quickly as it had appeared. Mark's voice reasoned from the side. "Both of you are still recovering from serious injuries, maybe you should, you know... take it easy for a while."

Annie glanced at the worried youngster, losing most of her anger. Of course she didn't want to start a fight with Mark in the room.

"He's right", she said tensely, giving the loincloth-wearing hunter and his various new scars a quick look over. "You look like shit."

Stealth looked like he had barely heard what she had said. There was an excited gleam in his eyes that Annie hated.

"Regain... your strength... quickly."

Still smirking, Stealth turned away and strode out, leaving Annie and Mark alone in the strange room.

"Annie..." Mark returned to her side with a look of worry. "I don't know everything that went down back in the facility or why he's so interested in taunting you, but you really shouldn't aggravate him. Or yourself, considering you're still recovering."

"Look at you, being the responsible one", Annie smiled dryly, knowing she would never tell Mark the details of everything that had transpired after they had gotten separated. Ready to change the subject, she rubbed her neck and the side of her face with her hand.

"What happened to me exactly? There's no way to remove a facehugger without killing the host."

"They froze it!" Mark claimed, excited again. "They didn't give it time to harm you, just a flash and it was dead."

"Freezing?" Annie remained skeptical. "Exposure to that kind of cold would lead to huge tissue damage for the host. And what about the growing embryo?"

"Well... You didn't escape completely unscathed. I kept asking Stealth about how it all worked while he was being treated..."

Annie frowned.

"... though he became talkative only after your operation was nearly done."

That's because he was waiting to see the outcome, Annie thought grimly. Had she not survived, the disappointed hunter would've probably killed Mark on the spot.

The blond-haired man continued cluelessly. "His answers were pretty vague, but from what I gathered, you had better odds at surviving because the embryo was at an early stage. It couldn't yet keep growing on its own or fight back, so after the facehugger was gone, they... went in and got rid of it. Whatever that meant, I... I wasn't looking all the time."

There was a brief, but deeply disturbed look on the youngster's downcast face. "I don't think they really expected you to make it. And for a moment, I didn't either."

"Well I'm still here", Annie assured firmly. "And I'm not dying before I get you back home."

"You were right about the damage, though..." Mark looked back up, eyes tracing something on Annie's face. "I don't have a mirror right now, but I have to give you a heads-up. It's not _that_ bad, but it's... noticeable. Parts of your face and neck, where the facehugger was –"

"Don't worry about it", Annie stated curtly, more concerned about them being trapped on the hunters' ship than by what had happened to her. She looked around the fairly small, dimly lit room. Everything was colored and shaped much like the armor and weaponry the hunters wore, down to the red, dotted lights surrounding the doorway.

Mark saw her looking at the double doors. "That's where they took the facehugger off. I guess this is a recovery room. There were other rooms like this too, though I didn't see much before we were brought here."

"Do you happen to remember how to get back out?"

"It wouldn't help much", Mark shrugged apologetically, eyes simultaneously lighting up with new, barely contained enthusiasm.

"What?" Annie asked, her confusion only lasting until she caught the youngster's train of thought. "Don't tell me..."

"We're in space", this time Mark couldn't keep a broad, child-like smile from spreading to his face. "Can you believe it? Really! Space! Of all the people in the world, how many have been to actual _space_?

Annie was starting to fear Mark had taken too many hits to the head during their recent struggles.

The curly-haired man's excited smile gained a knowing edge. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

Annie gave a vague grunt, but was unable to stay serious in the face of such excitement. "I think we're all crazy at this point. You're happy with your crazy at least."

Mark beamed. "Once they release us from the lockdown, I'm going to catch a peek through the first window I see."

Annie frowned. "Lockdown?"

Mark shrugged. "Yeah, only hunters can open that door. I tried before Stealth came here. Clearly they don't want us roaming around unchecked."

So they were prisoners. Annie was far from happy. Their situation would give Stealth plenty of opportunities to play his games with them. Too bad they weren't with Lex and that hunter she was so close with.

That made Annie realize Mark still hadn't told her everything.

"You said Keith and Antonio were alright. But what happened to Lex?"

* * *

Petrified, Lex stared at the eyeless, elongated head that loomed next to her, sharp teeth sneering. She was clueless to the situation, but nevertheless aware that waking up next to a xenomorph was never a good sign.

"You have recovered."

The gruff, throaty voice startled her almost as much as the alien head had. Why wasn't it alarmed by the xenomorph in the room?! Lex dared to raise her eyes from the black carapace, noticing the sizeable and scarcely clad humanoid sitting on the other side of the windowless space.

Scar!

At once, the recent memories of the dark forest returned, bringing with them an echo of desperation and grief.

"Scar..." she breathed, at a loss for words. They hadn't died after all. They were still alive...

Her eyes drifted down to her shoulder. It was bare, her top partially torn, and covered in strange, dry glue-like substance. She remembered the xenomorph's razor-sharp tail pinning her to the tree. The pain had been blinding then, now merely a dull ache.

Scar stood up stiffly, clearly still afflicted by his own injuries. Lex could see deep gashes lining his mottled skin all over his body. She doubted they would ever fully heal. Not that it would matter, the devoted warrior would wear them proudly anyway. She didn't care either, just relieved to see him alive.

Scar walked over to her, a tenderness in his eyes that contradicted the natural ferocity of his prominent features. He leaned his towering form over her, bringing their foreheads gently together with a soft clicking from behind his closed mandibles. Long dreadlocks draped over Lex like tubular curtains, as familiar as the musky scent surrounding her. It only made her remember lying on the forest floor with the dying hunter more vividly. She raised her arms in silence and wrapped them behind Scar's shoulders.

For a moment they remained quiet, savoring the closeness and the victory of both of them having survived.

"I thought you were dead when I found you."

Hearing her voice, Scar raised his head to look at Lex. Still hovering over her, he brushed the warrior's mark on her cheek with the back of his clawed hand. "It was a good hunt. There would've been no shame in ending one's path there."

"No, there wouldn't have", Lex understood, even if she disagreed with the basis of the idea. "But I'm still glad it wasn't the end."

"Yes..." Scar agreed after a short, pondering pause. "I am too."

Lex gave a brief smile that turned into a grimace as she nodded towards the severed xenomorph head on the side table. "Why is that thing here?"

Scar looked to the side and back, mandibles rising in a proud grin. "Wolf had it brought here to remind you of the glory of your successful hunt as soon as you stirred."

Lex was starting to get an inkling as to where Scar had learned his twisted sense of humor.

"When we get the chance I will show you how to clean your trophy", the tall hunter promised, rising to stand straight.

"Great..." Lex moved her mysteriously treated shoulder, sitting up carefully when she didn't feel too much pain. Her clothes were torn and horrendously bloodied. She would have to find something to replace her top at least, before it would fall off her.

"How long have we been... wherever we are right now?"

"It has been merely a day", Scar told her. "We were found and brought to our mothership for treatment."

Lex shook her head, frowning at the improbability of the time frame. "That can't be. We were both close to dying, I had a hole through my shoulder. One day wouldn't have been enough for us to heal this much. Not for me at least."

"I heard you were infused with a mixture made from Yautja blood", Scar cocked his head thoughtfully. "There were old records of it serving to heal and strengthen other humanoid species."

It sounded to Lex like whoever had been treating her had just been gambling with fate, but it was too late to argue about it anymore. "Alright. Then tell me, how are we both here? Wolf didn't want me anywhere near you."

"He promised me he would consider letting us leave together if you were still alive after your hunt."

"He did?" Lex's initial surprise faded quickly as she thought about it. "You do realize that was probably because he was sure I'd be dead soon?"

Scar crossed his arms. "A promise was nevertheless given. He will not go back on his word."

"He promised to _consider_, isn't that what you said", Lex persisted. "I don't want you to harbor false hope. He might still refuse."

And what would they do if that turned out to be the case, Lex wondered. An older, accomplished warrior like Wolf was no doubt a smart tactician. Smart enough to guess what they would try to do in case he refused. Lex just didn't know enough about him to assess how far he would be willing to go to keep Scar from leaving.

"I will make him understand", Scar said curtly.

Lex could see she wasn't getting through. There was no mistaking the trust and admiration the younger hunter held for his mentor.

"Okay..." she retreated for the time being. "We'll deal with that when the time comes. Right now I'm more worried about what happened to the others."

"I haven't seen Wolf yet –" Scar uncrossed his arms, cut short by the doors sliding open without a warning.

Lex tensed up as two large hunters stepped in. Wolf, and beside him another one with a long red cape and gray dreadlocks.

"Elder..." Scar muttered to Lex and turned to greet the two with a respectful bow of his head.

Lex wouldn't have needed the exposition. She recognized the royal-looking cape and the ancient, fierce features. It was the very same hunter she had seen giving orders in Antarctica. The leader of Scar's clan as she had understood.

She wished she could've asked Scar whether being visited by two such high-classed warriors was a good or a bad sign. Especially when both had their piercing eyes immediately fixated on her.

Now she would just have to wait and see.


	3. Curiosity and confrontations

Oh, I just love it when the poo is about to hit the fan. x)

**blackangel150:** Thanks, they sure are. Things are bound to heat up one way or another when they're put together.

**equipagan:** Yayyy, thank you for your excitement and kind words! :D And you're not too far off with your predictions. ;)

**First Dragon:** "Tender warm up" Hahahahaa! xD I'm not sure one can ever call anything happening between Stealth and Annie tender. And I mean _anything_. Now I'm actually kind of scared of what will happen if (oh who am I kidding), _when_, those two end up *ahem* developing further. ;D As for Wolf and the Elder... it took me a long time to figure them out and find the words they wanted to say. Especially Wolf. He's not being very cooperative. But we managed to work something out. Oh, and thanks for the compliment on the chapter!

**Meow:** Thank you very much, I will. :D

**Hexzhana:** Oh my goodness, that reaction. XD I love your excitement! Your interpretation of Annie and Stealth is pretty valid (also the part about Annie punching Stealth in the balls, can totally see that happening. Multiple times). And as for Stealth's past, it's already on route to catching up with him, ready to cause trouble. Thank you for your comment and stay safe as well!

**lexia the beautiful wolf:** Thank you, I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. :)

Thank you everyone who have read this story and amazingly have the patience to stick with it.

Let's continue.

* * *

"Elder..." Scar murmured to Lex as the two highest ranking warriors in their clan entered the room. Wolf he had known to expect, but it was unusual for the Elder to visit the recovery wards.

He bowed his head, straining to stand without signs of weakness despite the various injuries that were still afflicting him. From the corner of his eye, he could see Lex mimicking his show of respect. Good. She was a fast learner. It would help them avoid any unnecessary trouble while they stayed on the ship.

"_You arranged quite the spectacle for your mentor, young one."_

Scar raised his head, prompted by the raspy, unhurried voice. Contrary to the centuries-seen Elder's placid tone, his eyes were sharp and watchful. Standing under their close scrutiny always made Scar feel nervous, and in this situation more than ever.

"_Yes, Elder"_, he conceded carefully, unsure what aspect of his hunting trip was being referred to.

"_Wolf has described your honorable battle and success in taking down yet another queen._ _A remarkable feat considering your age and lack of experience._

An approving smile crept on the ancient warrior's wrinkled features. "_One that promises a future with stories of your name spread across the clans and generations."_

Having expected mainly problems from the two warriors' visit, Scar was dumbfounded to hear such generous praise. He glanced to the side with swelling pride to see if Wolf shared the Elder's view, but the Elite warrior held an icy glare that didn't reveal anything.

The old hunter wasn't done yet. _"The day I relinquish control of this ship and clan to Wolf and finally join the ranks of the Ancients, I can do so with the knowledge that he already has a suitable candidate to one day follow in his footsteps."_

Scar had to take a moment to digest the magnitude of what was being suggested, barely managing to reply with a nod. _"I... will strive to fulfill those expectations."_

The imposing Yautja leader's gaze shifted to the side. Scar tensed nervously, quickly forgetting his bolstered pride as the Elder directed his attention to the silently waiting human. Lex was standing very still too, nearly holding her breath as she met the piercing eyes.

The Elder took his time, carefully inspecting the smaller human, before clicking his tusks with an air of wonder. _"The very same human you marked during your ritual hunt… the universe only seems to grow smaller as I grow older."_

Scar didn't dare to say anything, worried Wolf might had revealed more of their affection towards each other than was safe for them.

"_This is the first time a human walks the halls of this ship. This human deemed a warrior has already ignited heated conversation among the clan. Even I must admit I find her presence… puzzling."_

Scar made a cautious effort to help the woman's cause. _"She is honorable, and I am proud to have hunted by her side."_

"_So you are..."_ the Elder mused with a cryptic tone. _"Wolf has also verified her to be worthy of the warrior's mark. She'll have a fair chance to prove herself as any other clan member, if that is her will. As well as partake in the coming negotiations."_

"_Negotiations, Elder?"_

"Could I ask something?"

Scar twitched involuntarily, surprised by the soft voice interjecting. He hadn't expected Lex to speak, but a cautionary glance at the woman revealed a determined stance. Scar didn't try to stop her as she braced herself to address the two veterans.

"What happened to the other humans?"

The Elder cocked his head, undisturbed by the bold interruption. _"My knowledge of Earth languages has gotten rusty over the years, but it seems to me she wishes to know something regarding humans?"_

"_Yes"_, Scar confirmed. _"She wishes to know the fates of her companions who fought the hard-meat with us."_

The Elder turned to Wolf. _"Do you possess this knowledge?"_

Wolf nodded curtly. "_I saw four other humans, two of them came aboard with us, one for a removal of a hard-meat parasite."_

Scar wasn't sure if the knowledge would offer Lex peace of mind. Allowing oneself to be infected meant failure, regardless whether one lived or died.

The Elder, however, sounded curious. _"And how did the treatment work?"_

"_Successfully. The human survived."_

The old Yautja nodded in contemplation. _"Surprisingly resilient for such a fragile species."_

"_Yes, I have noticed..."_ Wolf grumbled.

The Elder turned back to Scar and Lex. _"You may share that information with her now."_

Scar did so, noticing the subtle hints of changing emotions on the woman's face, small nuances he still had much to learn about.

"I won't even ask how removing a facehugger is possible", Lex shook her head at the end of Scar's recounting. "I'm relieved they're alive, but..."

Her forehead creased. "Was there a reason they were taken along and not killed with the embryo? When we found Sebastian in Antarctica... I… just find it hard to believe your people would take humans in that condition on board so readily."

"No, we wouldn't", Scar admitted, directing his next question straight to Wolf. _"Why was the host taken with us?"_

"_It was Stealth's decision to honor her bravery"_, the Elite warrior growled, clearly wanting to say more, but held back by the Elder's presence. Fortunately.

"Her bravery", Scar told Lex. "That's what he said."

Lex nodded in understanding. "So it was Annie. And Stealth playing his games with her. I can't say that eases my mind."

Scar agreed. It sounded like trouble was already brewing. It would be best for him and all the humans to get off the ship quickly.

As they had conversed, Scar had noticed the Elder paying close attention to them. He wasn't sure how much the Yautja leader understood of their speech. He still didn't think the veteran of countless battles suspected what was going on between him and Lex, so he dared to take a chance and say something Wolf wasn't going to like.

"_Considering my recent success, I ask for a permission to go back to Earth for another hunt."_

Both high-ranking hunters fell silent. Uncomfortably so. Wolf was obviously angry, Scar didn't even need to look at him to know that, but the Elder's silence was what caused him to feel growing uneasiness.

"_That... is not possible."_

The strange choice of words surprised Scar. _"Not possible?"_

"_One of the clans was just terminated by an Enforcer"_, the Elder said gravely. _"We are about to enter negotiations about expanding our hunting grounds."_

"_Terminated?"_ Scar uttered in disbelief. _"An entire clan? How could such a thing happen?"_

"_You are still young"_, Wolf spat impatiently. _"It is rare, but happens from time to time. The clan had gone against our laws and the council sent an Enforcer to deal their due punishment."_

"_And now that Enforcer is on his way to meet with us"_, the Elder finished.

"_But you will take care of the negotiations"_, Scar persisted, feeling an even bigger need to get Lex off the ship before an official authority would get involved in their affairs. _"What harm would there be of me leaving for a hunt?"_

"_Watch your words, youngling..."_ Wolf growled a warning, which Scar ignored.

"_Just tell me what the problem is."_

Wolf spread his mandibles with a rumbling growl. _"One more insolent word and I will renew your lesson about respect on the spot."_

Scar knew Wolf meant what he had said and bowed his head reluctantly._"I simply wish to know the truth."_

"_Youth comes with impatience"_, the Elder spoke to both of them, huffing a gruff laugh. _"When everything you've ever experienced has happened in the span of so few decades, you're inclined to expect everything else to happen right away too. The concept of a lifetime is yet too elusive to grasp. Time will fix that flaw in all of us."_

Scar forced himself to wait for them to get back on the subject, knowing Wolf would knock him down if he spoke rashly in front of the clan leader again. The Elder remained silent for a moment, shifting his eyes from Scar to Lex.

"_Rights to hunting grounds will not be the only topic of debate. The fate of the humans will be in question, and I won't allow further hunts on their planet until the matter has been settled."_

"_What?" _Scar blurted in confusion. _"What does that mean?"_

"_I will fill the youngling in on the details"_, Wolf stated with his arms crossed and a foreboding expression.

The Elder grunted in agreement, fixing Scar with a solid gaze as he gave him a final word of advice. _"This human is the only one of her species marked as a warrior and entitled to the same rights as others in our clan, including taking part in any negotiations. We have time before the Enforcer arrives and the negotiations start. If another clan wants to come and try to claim grounds for itself, it will take even longer. Use this time to prepare her."_

Scar said nothing as the Elder turned away, the flowing motion of his aging dreadlocks and cape following him. Wolf waited for the door to close after the Yautja leader, before uncrossing his arms and turning back to Scar.

"_You ungrateful pup."_

With a few long strides, Wolf closed the gap between them, bringing his flaring mandibles to Scar's face. _"She was on the verge of an honorable death, why would you spoil it and your future as well?! You heard the Elder! You have a chance to become something every youngling dreams of! Taking command of an entire clan. Don't tell me after that you're still keen on abandoning your clan and honor?"_

Scar's blood heated up in his veins. The condescending lecture and accusation against his honor chafed him, especially when they weren't completely groundless. He _had _heard the Elder and reveled in the idea of achieving such honor, but right then he was still hung up on another worrying detail.

"_What did he mean by deciding the fate of the humans?"_

Irritation strained Wolf's features. _"I'm starting to believe allowing you to take the ritual hunt happened a decade too soon."_

A low rumble escaped Scar's throat as the berating began to wear down his self-control. _"Despite what you think, I am Blooded! I am the one walking my path of honor, not you! And I will walk it with her!"_

"_What honor?"_ Wolf wasn't hiding his aggravation either._ "If you leave and refuse to return, you will be declared Bad Blood. If you plan to disappear, your story will simply end there. There is no honor in either of those scenarios. Even if you both were to stay here, tying yourself to a weak creature like that..."_

Wolf took a step towards Lex, raising his hand...

Scar reacted instantly, moving closer to Lex and growling a warning at his mentor, who glared at him darkly before glancing at Lex and spitting out a word Scar would never translate to her.

_"I will not harm your human, as was promised"_, Wolf reminded Scar coldly of the deal they had made on Earth._ "She passed the hunt and I will keep my word. But you need to realize what you are sacrificing just to keep her for a short while. Whether she stays here or goes back to Earth, she's not going to last long anyway. A few decades at best, compared to the centuries of dishonor you face."_

"Scar..."

Scar felt a light touch on his arm. Lex had no doubt been alarmed by their heated interaction and was trying to calm him before a fight would break out.

The warm touch didn't quell the unpleasant feelings raging within Scar's tense form. He didn't want to think about the things Wolf was throwing at him. The Elder's praise had indeed been a rare gift, not something easily given.

But the same could've been said about Lex.

Wolf, on the other hand, was relieved to notice the first signs of hesitance. His words were finally starting to get through, prompting him to keep up his relentless attack. _"Assuming Earth remains __untouched__, what would you even hunt on her planet? The only really challenging prey is her kind. Do you think she will hunt with you? Or turn on you?"_

Scar's mandibles knitted together and his eyes lowered. He was thrown off balance, Wolf could see that, disturbed by the aspects he hadn't paused to consider for a moment in his haste to ruin his life. Youthful arrogance, thinking things would simply go his way if he just wanted it hard enough.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like he was going to grow out of it anytime soon.

"_We will figure __everything__ out"_, Scar raised his eyes again and declared with a stubborn clenching of his mandibles. A look Wolf was all too familiar with, ever since the young warrior had been merely a pup playing hunting with his older brothers. A game that had always started with a squabble about who got the best "weaponry". Already back then Scar had set his mind to something he had wanted and not given up until he had attained it or until he had been beaten unconscious. A trait both useful and detrimental to a warrior's progress.

"_You are heading to a bugs' nest with no vision"_, Wolf turned on his heels and clasped his hands behind his back._ "And your refusal to listen to me will doom you to a fate worse than death."_

"_I wasn't aware you possessed the gift of foresight."_

Wolf ignored the snarky remark, realizing he could only push his stubborn student so far in one conversation. It was better to let the new thoughts sink in on their own. _"__I__t is futile to even address the matter before the negotiations."_

He turned back, seeing Scar's expression grow more alert again at the mention of the negotiations. _"We will bring up the humans' __scheme__ to study our warriors __and the bugs__. __Especially __the__ abomination they created from our fallen brother."_

Scar shifted restlessly. _"What happens when you do?"_

_"What the humans have done"_, Wolf spoke adamantly._ "Only shows that they are growing more __advanced and __unpredictable__ by the generation. It's time to decide whether we can allow that to keep happening __or whether that progress should be rooted once and for all__."_

Wolf could see the realization dawning on the young hunter's face as he grasped the severity of the possible outcome.

_"But that..."_ Scar faltered, no doubt thinking of his human and how she was going to take the information.

"_She's not going to accept the result if it proves unfavorable for her kind"_, Wolf finished the thought for the reluctant youngling. _"She will fight against us."_

Scar fell silent, not even a mandible twitching. Wolf considered it a good sign. The Elder had been right. Time would make the young fool understand. He would just have to make sure Scar wouldn't ruin his future before that.

"_If I were you, I would use this time to evaluate whether this immature infatuation of yours is really going to be worth the disappointing end."_

There was nothing else to be said. Wolf headed for the door with a slightly lighter burden than he had come in with.

Scar remained immobile as the door closed, firmly fixated on the problem presented for him. By his side, he could sense Lex staring at him expectantly, already waiting to hear what they had talked about. What was he supposed to tell her? That her planet might possibly be subjected to an invasion, making her whole race slaves or free prey for the Yautja?

"What's the verdict?" Lex finally asked, crossing her arms. "Wolf didn't seem any happier than the last time I saw him."

Scar took a deep breath, facing the human woman. "He… the Elder considers you to have a rightful place in the clan. Wolf still doesn't like it, as you guessed, but he will not harm you."

"That's good..." Lex stated carefully. "What else?"

Scar felt hesitant, and hated it. A part of him didn't want to tell Lex of the negotiations, dreading that the things Wolf had said would come to pass. That the threat his clan was posing to humanity would make them enemies.

He let his eyes brush fondly over the long growth lightly draping over the woman's shoulders and the soft, steadfast features it framed, knowing he could never harm her even if she chose to fight for her own people.

"What?" Lex gave him a faint smile, the expression fading into seriousness again soon as Scar's silence dragged. "It wasn't all good news, was it?"

Scar braced himself and told her everything.

* * *

The small training hall was saturated with the prominent odor of a dozen young and eager fighters, still Unblooded, but each ready to prove themselves better than the rest. All of them had already heard the rumor that had spread across the ship.

One of them was especially determined to see if it was true.

"_You've actually seen the humans?"_ Axis questioned under his breath as he sat near the edge of the training ring with his soon to be opponent.

"_Yes"_, the bigger youngling stated, eyes on one of the six fights currently underway. _"Strange-looking creatures."_

"_Is it true one of them is actually carrying the mark of a Blooded warrior?"_

"_It's true."_

_"Did they look dangerous?_

"_What?" _the other Yautja turned his eyes away from the fight, sneering. _"Are you scared?"_

"_No!"_ Axis snapped back, annoyed by the mocking tone. _"I __never__ back away from any challenge, Crush, you should know that by now."_

"_Then why are you so curious about the humans?"_

Right then the two fighters in front of them fell out of bounds, landing almost on top of them. Axis raised his leg and kicked the snarling and clawing hunters to keep them from rolling over him. Crush kept looking at him expectantly, but Axis didn't go back to his question.

"_Did they carry any weapons or other gear with them?"_

"_Go look for yourself if you like humans so much"_, Crush scoffed, turning his head as he heard the gruff command of their observing mentor telling them to switch fighters. _"We're on, light-feet. Try and focus. I can hardly better my skills if you stand there daydreaming and wait for me to punch you. Not that it isn't funny."_

Axis sprung to his feet and hopped into the designated fight area. _"Laugh all you want, I'm still going to win this round."_

"_Is the big talk supposed to make up for small stature?"_

Disparaging comments like that were nothing new for Axis. He was more than a head shorter compared to the tallest students, and possessed a lighter build than the others in their group. That had made him the usual subject of ridicule from the start. But now he was nearing the end of his training and Axis had learned years ago to prove himself in the ring and not get goaded into futile arguments.

Most of the time.

In the other rings, the next fighters shifted restlessly, waiting for the starting signal.

Axis glanced to the side, where their mentor towered at the back of the small training hall. The mere sight made his blood pump vigorously every time.

Paya, she was gorgeous!

The large female barked the go signal. Axis heard the coming attack before he could drag his eyes back to the ring.

A heavy fist struck the corner of his eye, the impact knocking him down and making his vision scramble. He kicked the air blindly in defense, hitting nothing, and rolled quickly to the side to climb back to his feet.

Standing again, he could see Crush circling him with a smirk.

"_Or are you trying to compensate for something else? You clearly have already set your eyes on a certain someone, but maybe there's not enough equipment under that loincloth to impress a potential mate?"_

Axis followed the circling motion, spreading his mandibles in aggression. His pride was more wounded than his head. He had rarely defeated Crush, but he was faster than him, he knew that. He could rectify his bad start as long as he kept his head in the fight.

They dashed towards each other at the same time, Axis getting the edge and slipping under the bigger Yautja's arm to strike at the back of his knee joint.

It did the trick, bringing Crush down on one knee and giving Axis the perfect opportunity to elbow his opponent to the back of the head before delivering a sharp kick to his spine. Crush stumbled to his hands and knees, but didn't drop, turning with claws swiping at Axis' leg to get a grip of him or at least slow him down.

Axis jumped over the sharp claws, landing feet first onto his foe's broad back and leaping away quickly. The push made Crush buckle on his hands and knees, but only for a moment. In a flash, he was up again and charging with his head low to ram into Axis' midsection.

Axis dodged to the side, intending to stay close enough to get another hit in, but realized the mistake as Crush's seemingly uncontrolled momentum came to a screeching stop, allowing the Yautja to change direction and fling himself after him faster than he had expected.

The heavy fighter collided shoulder first into Axis, both of them toppling from the force and ending in a close struggle to gain the upper hand. Crush caught Axis' arm, doing his best to twist and pull the limb out of its socket. Huddled tightly against the clammy torso, Axis found no way to break free, merely able to follow the pulling motion to prevent any disabling damage.

As he fought Crush's attempts to put a stop to his squirming, it dawned to him they were placed near the edge of the ring. Reaching with his free hand, he yanked on his opponent's mandible while pushing his weight against his lower body. Crush's foot ventured over the edge of the ring, making the dominating Yautja lose his grip on him and fall to the floor with a heavy thump.

Axis stood in the ring, rubbing his sore arm and grinning triumphantly.

"_Enough."_

The hoarse command pierced Axis' battle trance, drawing his gaze back to their mentor. The surrounding fights died down quickly, everyone knowing better than to risk a painful reminder from the powerful female about following command.

Brunt…

Axis watched dreamily as their mentor walked through the training hall, giving some students one to three-word corrections about their fights or techniques as she went.

His excitement began growing as he realized she was coming towards their ring.

A wide grin spread to Axis' mandibles as he confirmed that the large female was really approaching him, graceful power in her steps. She had taken note of him and he was overjoyed to have won his fight when he did.

Axis saw the clawed fingers by the female's side roll into a fist, just before hitting him smack in the gut and making him double over breathlessly on the mat.

"_Focus"_, he heard the word from above. Black-taloned feet walked away from him.

Pain and lack of air kept Axis from speaking, but he was still ecstatic. Brunt was always pushing him harder than the other Unblooded students, and Axis was convinced that was because she saw potential in him. As soon as his training would be over and he would be allowed to participate in the ritual hunt, he would prove himself a warrior worthy of such a magnificent mate.

A suddenly stirring restlessness around him distracted Axis from his ambitious thoughts. He lifted his head to see what it was about, seeing Crush and the others looking towards the large windows of the training hall. He expected to see some high-ranking warrior having stopped to observe their training session as they sometimes did.

Instead he saw a warrior with two alien forms behind him walking down the corridor.

Immediately Axis forgot the pain squeezing his insides, and scrambled back to his feet to get a better view. Yes, they must've been humans! Small and light, even more than him, no mandibles or dreads, but otherwise pretty similar to them. Taller of the humans looked their way, giving them a long stare before the corridor took them too far to see. Had it been a challenge? Evaluating them? Or curiosity like his?

A hushed murmur broke out in the hall as most students commented eagerly on their first sight of a human. Some seemed to think the humans had looked weaker than they had expected, some that they must've been highly intelligent or great tacticians if they were considered such worthy prey, maybe even possess some prominent weapon or skill.

"_Last rounds"_, Brunt's taciturn manner returned them to their training._"Four groups. Against me."_

Axis stepped down from the ring, straightening his hunched posture eagerly. This was his favorite. A chance to show off his skills directly to Brunt. The upcoming injuries didn't dissuade him from his intentions.

He would make her proud.

* * *

Mark walked the winding corridors, attention split between two attractions. On one side he was worried of the obvious signs of hostility Annie was projecting towards Stealth, on the other, he marveled at every engraved picture, every piece of futuristic-tribal architecture and strange-looking device integrated into the ship. He was just itching to ask questions, but earlier experience had already taught him Stealth wasn't the one he wanted to ask. He would have to find Lex and Scar at some point.

Stealth hadn't glanced at them once after he had come to pick them up from the recovery room and told them to follow. Annie had objected at first, but when the hunter had stated that it was either staying locked up where they were or getting out with him, she had begrudgingly given in. It had probably helped that Mark too had voiced his wish of getting out and seeing the ship.

Mark looked at the tall hunter's freshly scarred back, wondering again where he was taking them, when another sight stole his attention and made his head pivot.

They passed by a hall of some kind with windows to the corridor. It was full of hunters, more than Mark had ever seen. He stared at them with open curiosity, taking in as much details as he could until they moved out of sight.

He was still mulling over everything he had seen when Stealth stopped in front of a plain-looking door, one of many on the corridor, and waited for them to catch up. The large hunter activated a panel next to the door, opening it, and stepped aside.

"This is... where you will reside."

Annie glared at the innocuously gesturing hunter, peering warily into the lit room before stepping in. Mark followed after her, eager to see what awaited inside, when an irresistible force grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back.

Before Mark could recover from his surprise, the door had already slid shut, leaving him alone in the corridor and Annie on the other side with Stealth.


End file.
